Kane Cornes has taken aim at the extended break players take before returning to pre-season training after a string of injuries on Monday rocked the game. Collingwood were hit with two injuries on Monday with veterans Jeremy Howe and Darcy Moore both going down with calf strains.
The duo should only miss two weeks with the Magpies avoiding a disaster. Although it was a lot worse for Carlton and North Melbourne. Small forward Jesse Motlop is set to miss the season for the Blues after suffering an ACL injury in training.
Kane Cornes has taken aim at the schedule for AFL clubs with Darcy Moore (pictured right) and Jeremy Howe (pictured left) the latest two players to get injured returning to pre-season training. (Getty Images)
Kangaroos defender Jackson Arthur will also miss the season with an ACL rupture suffered upon his return to training. The injury carnage certainly raised eyebrows as teams start to ramp up their preparation ahead of the 2026 season.
And Cornes feels the extended break between the end of the regular season and pre-season training could be part of the problem. The regular AFL season finished back in August. The AFL finals finished at the end of September.
Many teams returned at the start of December where players picked up where they left off. But most sides have a break at the end of December, before returning after the New Years break.
However, Cornes feels players are at high risk of injury when they jump back into training due to the long holiday. The AFL premiership winner claimed it was a ‘ridiculous’ scenario for players with injuries causing havoc ahead of the upcoming season.
Teams would no doubt have their own data around this and would likely ease players back towards full fitness. But it didn’t stop a number of stars suffering season-ending injuries in a tough blow for the league.
Blues rocked after Jesse Motlop injury
Motlop’s injury is a major blow for Carlton with the small forward re-signing with the club on a two-year deal last year. He was also one of only six players to feature in every game for Carlton in 2025.
The 22-year-old star has kicked 59 goals in 63 games for the Blues since his 2022 debut. “Jesse has put in plenty of hard work in the pre-season, so we are really feeling for him at this time,” Carlton football boss Chris Davies said in a statement after the injury.
Meanwhile, Archer will likely miss the season having only managed three senior games last year. This was due to injuries and suspension. But the 23-year-old has now only played a career total of 26 games in four seasons. Port Adelaide star Tom Cochrane also suffered a ‘significant’ hamstring injury in training and is set to miss the start of the season.
Collingwood suffered a minor setback Darcy Moore (pictured right) and Jeremy Howe (pictured left) both suffered a calf strain during pre-season training.